DOVER — In what some are calling a landmark decision, the House of Representatives voted Wednesday to send a bill that would make the recreational use of marijuana legal to the state's Ways and Means Committee for consideration.

Initially, legislators voted against the bill 170-168. After much debate and the addition of an amendment, legislators voted 170-162 to send the bill to the tax committee.

HB 492 would allow adults over the age of 21 to possess up to one ounce of marijuana. If passed, residents could grow as many as six plants. State-licensed stores would be authorized to sell marijuana, similarly to how the state regulates hard alcohol sales currently.

Supporters said the bill was modeled after one approved by Colorado voters last year and is similar to one Washington voters passed.

According to the bill's sponsor, Steve Vaillancourt, R-Manchester, the state could earn between $20 and $30 million in tax revenue by legalizing marijuana.

Rep. Marsha Pelletier, D-Dover, who voted against the bill, said there were people from many states waiting to talk to Vaillancourt after the votes were cast. She said they were interested in seeing what New Hampshire is doing with their marijuana laws.

Voters in Alaska, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington, D.C. may vote on marijuana legislation ballot measures later on this year. Those states are of the 20 that have medical marijuana laws currently in place.

Vaillancourt said in his blog on nhinsider.com that if the bill becomes law, the process would not be completed until July 2015.

Opponents of the bill argued marijuana is bad for people's health, would be difficult to regulate and is illegal under federal law.

Police organizations in the state have been vocal about their opposition to the bill.

Patrick Sullivan, executive director of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, said the organization has been against the legalization of marijuana for a number of years. He said the bill is not good for New Hampshire.

“It doesn't send the correct message to our youth,” Sullivan said. He said legalizing marijuana would also send the wrong message to businesses looking to move into the state.

Other concerns Sullivan expressed included controlling marijuana from getting into the wrong hands, drivers impaired by marijuana on the state's roadways and the psychological addictiveness of the drug.

“They say it is not physically addictive, but it is psychologically addictive,” Sullivan said. “With many people I see, their life revolves around it.”

Sullivan is the interim police chief in Goffstown.

Sgt. Timothy King, who is on the board of directors for the New Hampshire Police Association, said his organization is unequivocally opposed to the bill.

King said he always gets offended when someone equates marijuana to cigarettes.

“We're talking about the difference between bicycles and Mack trucks,” King said.

Gov. Maggie Hassan has promised to veto the bill if it makes it to her desk.